Sacred as You Are: Depression as a Call to Spiritual Awakening

by Jeff Foster

"Anywhere but here, anything but this."

Many know teacher and author Jeff Foster as a living example of joyful presence. But he wasn’t always this way:

"From my earliest childhood to my mid-twenties," Jeff recalls, "I struggled with depression. I was certain that there was something deeply wrong with me. That on a basic level, I was incomplete, damaged, and desperately longing to rest."

In this audio session, he shares the insights that changed everything for him, and that have helped thousands who’ve found themselves feeling abandoned, lost, and somehow broken. With gentle guidance, and simple questions, Sacred As You Are explores:

• Depression’s call to return to the miracle of who you are, in this moment
• Why you are not your feelings or thoughts, but a "field of permission" as vast as the sky that can hold all storms
• If you’re out of willpower, energy, or hope—can you just be curious?
• How doubt and confusion can be your greatest allies, and more

"This program is not intended to fix you or make you happier or give you profound answers," notes Jeff. "It’s simply an invitation to discover that your sorrow, pain, and grief—everything that feels so wrong—are the parts of you that most long to be held. And that the rest you seek is here with you, right now."

Genres: Spirituality, Audiobook

Audio CD

Published March 1, 2017

About the author

Jeff Foster graduated in Astrophysics from Cambridge University in 2001. Several years after graduation, following a period of severe depression and illness, he became addicted to the idea of "spiritual enlightenment", and embarked on an intensive spiritual search which lasted for several years.

The spiritual search came to an absolute end with the clear seeing that there is only ever Oneness. In the clarity of this seeing, life became what it always was: spontaneous, clear, joyful and fully alive, and Jeff began to write and talk about "nonduality" (which he often calls "the utterly, utterly obvious").

He holds meetings and retreats in the UK and Europe, clearly and directly pointing to the frustrations surrounding the spiritual search, to the nature of mind, and to the Clarity at the heart of everything. His uncompromising approach, full of humor and compassion, shatters the mind's hopes for a future awakening, revealing the awakening that is always already present, right in the midst of life.

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Reviews

[Michele Maturo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t recommend buying the physical copy, it works better as an audible. The core message centers on self-acceptance and releasing shame.. being worthy even in the middle of depression or struggle. While it’s relatable and comforting, it didn’t leave a lasting impact on me and felt more like a gentle reminder than transformational